William James' idea of man's religious experience is that man feels God or a spiritual presence in him and that this intuition alone - real as it feels -- is the basis of evidence that a mystical something exists. Congruent to the utilitarianism of James' philosophy, he asserts the cash-value of such belief in that it helps the individual attain a more meaningful life and gives him certain direction and bliss. In this way, interaction with the Divine (or mystical feelings) whether 'real or not that such presence exists -- and it doesn't matter - are important and authentic since they contain instrumental value.

Scientists of the time perceived people who had religious 'experiences' as being, at best, in delirium; at worst, as delusional and insane. James argued that these instances were metaphysical, namely above and beyond physical experience, and could, consequently, not be measured by scientific criteria.

Drawing a...
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